Boehner to GOP: Vote against stimulus  —  President Barack Obama is coming to the Capitol later today in a bid to curry favor with congressional Republicans.  But it appears GOP leaders have already made up their minds to oppose his $825 billion stimulus plan.

PALIN'S GOT PAC AND VIP STATUS  —  ASK not what Sarah Palin can do for your country, ask only what you can do for Sarah Palin.  And the answer is, pay attention.  Trust me, Alaska's governor is moving faster than those glaciers.  —  Traveling with one of her ladies-in-waiting and invited by a rich GOPnik …

OBAMA AL-ARABIYA INTERVIEW: FULL TEXT  —  Here is the full text of President Obama's interview with Al-Arabiya Arab TV Network:  —  INTERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT BY HISHAM MELHEM, AL ARABIYA  —  Map Room  —  Q Mr. President, thank you for this opportunity, we really appreciate it.

‘Che’ spurs debate, Del Toro walkout  —  UPDATED:  —  A controversial new biopic about Cuban revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara is awakening old passions and provoking vigorous defenses and denunciations of the iconic revolutionary and - in the case of an interview with The Washington Times - a dramatic walkout.

Bailout Recipients Hosted Call To Defeat Key Labor Bill  —  Three days after receiving $25 billion in federal bailout funds, Bank of America Corp. hosted a conference call with conservative activists and business officials to organize opposition to the U.S. labor community's top legislative priority.

GOP's Tedisco vying for Gillibrand seat  —  New York Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco has been tapped as the Republican nominee for Kirsten Gillibrand's vacant 20th District House seat, according to several New York GOP sources.  —  The decision was made this afternoon in Albany …

Congressional Budget Office compares downturn to Great Depression  —  The nation's current recession is likely to be the longest since World War II, and by some measures could be the worst since the Great Depression, a new Congressional Budget Office forecast said Tuesday.

High-Flying Citigroup Grounds Plans for $50M Jet  —  Obama Aide Called Citigroup to Complain About Jet  —  The high-flying execs at Citigroup caved under pressure from President Obama and decided today to abandon plans for a luxurious new $50 million corporate jet from France.

STATING THE OBVIOUS  —  I hear a lot of talk about whether Obama's governing approach can be ‘bipartisan’ if a good number of Republicans don't vote for his Stimulus Bill.  But that dubious point seems to be obscuring a more obvious and telling reality: the Republican leadership in both houses …

Clinton says world “exhaling” with Obama at top  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested on Tuesday the world was breathing a sigh of relief that President Barack Obama had replaced George W. Bush and was working to fix the damage he had caused.

US official: Intelligence director resigns  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell resigned his post effective Tuesday.  —  Spokesman Ross Feinstein said Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, Jr. is temporarily serving as acting national intelligence director.

Dear President Obama: in Talking to China, Remember its People  —  Welcome to U.S.-China relations!  You didn't even mention China in your inaugural address, but the Chinese censors still took it personally.  Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's remarks in his confirmation hearing about currency manipulation have got everyone in a tizzy.

INSIDE OBAMA'S MEETING WITH HOUSE GOP  —  From NBC's Mike Viqueira  —  This is a sort of a live blog from a member and aide inside the room with President Obama, via e-mail:  —  Obama speaking now.... Talking about how bad the economy is and that it is deteriorating rapidly

Swedish city cancels Holocaust event  —  A northern Swedish city has decided to cancel a planned Holocaust Memorial Day torchlight procession due to the recent IDF offensive in Gaza, it was reported Tuesday.  —  The official reason given for the decision, made by the municipal board …

Kristol Severs Ties With the N.Y. Times  —  Bill Kristol and the New York Times parted company yesterday, one year after he began writing a weekly opinion column that became a high-profile target for his detractors on the left.  —  But the conservative commentator, who edits the Weekly Standard …

Bunning takes aim at McConnell  —  U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., lashed out at the Bluegrass State's senior senator, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, in a teleconference with reporters Tuesday morning.  —  Bunning expressed frustration that McConnell hasn't publicly backed …

10 Reasons to Whack Obama's Stimulus Plan  —  Some people are going to oppose President Obama's ginormous stimulus package just because they're on a different political team.  But when you look at the economic evidence, it sure seems like an economic recovery package that's heavy …

Afghan Guards Confound U.S. Forces  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — A contingent of Army Rangers was moving toward a target in late October when it came under fire from machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.  Fearful the team would be wiped out, U.S. officers called in air strikes.

Trying to Bulldoze Free Speech  —  In the late 18th century, Edmund Burke referred to the newspaper reporters seated in the press gallery of the House of Commons as the “Fourth Estate.”  It was a remarkable acknowledgment of the importance of the press in a society still bound by the feudal orders of clergy, nobles and peasantry.

Specter: Psych!  I'll Back Holder  —  It may be time to coin the phrase “pulling a Specter,” because Sen. Arlen Specter (PA), the senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee, just did it again.  After making a huge fuss questioning the independence of Eric Holder, Specter just caved …

CELEBRITY  —  A GOP source to TIME's Jay Newton-Small: Nearly as many House Republicans sought to get their photos taken with Obama as questioned him about the stimulus during their meeting.